This course gives you easy access to the invaluable learning techniques used by experts in art, music, literature, math, science, sports, and many other disciplines. We’ll learn about the how the brain uses two very different learning modes and how it encapsulates (“chunks”) information. We’ll also cover illusions of learning, memory techniques, dealing with procrastination, and best practices shown by research to be most effective in helping you master tough subjects.
Using these approaches, no matter what your skill levels in topics you would like to master, you can change your thinking and change your life. If you’re already an expert, this peep under the mental hood will give you ideas for: turbocharging successful learning, including counter-intuitive test-taking tips and insights that will help you make the best use of your time on homework and problem sets. If you’re struggling, you’ll see a structured treasure trove of practical techniques that walk you through what you need to do to get on track. If you’ve ever wanted to become better at anything, this course will help serve as your guide.
This course can be taken independent of, concurrent with, or prior to, its companion course, Mindshift. (Learning How to Learn is more learning focused, and Mindshift is more career focused.)
To join the fully translated Portuguese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprender
To join the fully translated Spanish version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/aprendiendo-a-aprender
To join the fully translated Chinese version of the course, visit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/ruhe-xuexi

JS

I really appreciate the time these guys invested in this course and am willing to take it again if they re-explain some topics in order to refresh some things that with time haven't stayed in my mind.

KG

Feb 04, 2016

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star

I specially like the optional interviews. These learning case studies are quite insightful and you might just find a something that you can relate to, which might help in the grand scheme of things :)

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Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential

In this module we’re going to talk more about important ideas and techniques that will enhance your ability to learn. You’ll also discover how to more profitably interact with fellow learners, how to recognize your own strengths, and how to avoid the “imposter syndrome.” Fighter pilots and surgeons use checklists to help them with their critical duties—you can use a similar checklist to help you prepare for tests. Ultimately, you will learn more about the joys of living a life filled with learning!

講師

Dr. Barbara Oakley

Dr. Terrence Sejnowski

Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies

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I love reading history and being inspired by the biographies of extraordinary people. One of the most unusual people I've ever read about is inspiring not only because he was so extraordinary, but also because he was so ordinary. Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a born troublemaker. In rural Spain of the 1860's, there weren't many options for oddball juvenile delinquents. So, that's how at 11 years old, Cajal found himself in jail. Cajal was stubborn and rebellious. Who knew that Santiago Ramon y Cajal would one day not only earn the Nobel Prize, but eventually become known as the father of modern neuroscience. Cajal was already in his early 20's when he began climbing from bad boy delinquency into the traditional study of medicine. There's evidence that myelin sheaths, the fatty insulation that helps signals move more quickly along a neuron don't finish developing in some people until they're in their 20's. This may explain why teenagers often have trouble controlling their impulsive behavior, the wiring between the intention and the control areas of the brain isn't completely formed. When you use neural circuits, however, it seems you help build the myelin sheath over them, not to mention, making many other microscopic changes. Practice appears to strengthen and reinforce connections between different brain regions, creating highways between the brain's control centers and the centers that store knowledge. In Cajal's case, it seems his natural maturation processes coupled with his own efforts to develop his thinking helped him to take control of his overall behavior. It seems people can enhance the development of their neuronal circuits by practicing thoughts that use those neurons. We're still in the infancy of understanding neural development, but one thing is becoming clear, we can make significant changes in our brain by changing how we think. Cajal met and worked with many brilliant scientists through his lifetime, people who were often far smarter than him. In Cajal's autobiography however, he pointed out that although brilliant people can do exceptional work, just like anyone, else they can also be careless and biased. Cajal felt the key to his own success was his perseverance, what he called the virtue of the less brilliant, coupled with his flexible ability to change his mind and admit errors. Anyone, Cajal noted, even people with average intelligence can change their own brains, so that even the least gifted can produce an abundant harvest. People like Charles Darwin whose theory of evolution has made him one of the most influential figures in human history are often thought of as the sort of natural geniuses. You may be surprised to learn that much like Cajal, Darwin was a poor student in school. He washed out of medical school and ended up, to his father's horror, heading out on around the world voyage as the ship's naturalist. Out on his own, Darwin was able to look with fresh eyes at the data he was collecting. Approaching material with a goal of learning it on your own can give you a unique path to mastery. Often, no matter how good your teacher and textbook are, it's only when you sneak off and look at other books or videos that you begin to see, what you learn through a single teacher or book is a partial version of the full three dimensional reality of the subject which has links to still other fascinating topics that are of your choosing. Taking responsibility for your own learning is one of the most important things you can do. Santiago Ramon y Cajal had a deep understanding not only of how to conduct science, but also of how people just interact with one another. He warned the fellow learners that there will always be those who criticize or attempt to undermine any effort or achievement you make. This happens to everybody, not just Nobel Prize winners. If you do well in your studies, the people around you can feel threatened. The greater your achievement, the more other people will sometimes attack and demean your efforts. On the other hand, if you flunk a test, you also may encounter critics who throw more barbs, saying you don't have what it takes. We're often told that empathy is universally beneficial but it's not. It's important to learn to switch on an occasional cool dispassion that helps you to not only focus on what you're trying to learn, but also to tune people out if you discover their interests lie in undercutting you. Such undercutting is all too common as people are often just as competitive as they are cooperative. When you're a young person, mastering such dispassion can be difficult or naturally excited about what we're working on, and we like to believe that everyone can be reasoned with, and not almost everyone is naturally good hearted towards us. Like Santiago Ramon y Cajal, you can take pride in aiming for success because of the very things that make other people say you can't do it. Take pride in who you are, especially in the qualities that make you different, and use them as a secret talisman for success. Use your natural contrariness to defy the always present prejudices from others about what you can accomplish. I'm Barbara Oakley. Thanks for learning about learning.